The invention relates to a deviation device for a conveyor which defines a conveying plane, e.g. a driving roller path, for deviating goods to be conveyed, e.g. containers.
Deviation devices for driving roller paths serve e.g. to deviate certain conveyed goods from a flow of conveyed goods into a certain direction and to transfer them to a different conveying path. Both, shunts comprising rollers, in which the rollers are pivoted about vertical axes to change the direction, and shunts in which rollers positioned inclinedly relative to the conveying direction are lifted to above the level of the conveying plane when the deviation means is activated so as to cause a deviation of the conveyed goods are known.
From DE 1 297 022 B, a shunt comprising a path of rollers for items, containers or the like, using pivotable or liftable driven frictional rollers is known. There, it is also provided to attach a series of frictional rollers via bearing pedestals on a common carrier which is guided on a basic frame of the conveying device so as to be adjustable in height by means of guiding pins. For the height adjustment of the carrier, a shaft is mounted with cams on the basic frame of the conveying device. What is disadvantageous is that it is hardly possible to equip already existing conveying devices later on or to adapt them to certain uses, since the individual components are individually attached to the basic frame of the conveying device and have to be adjusted relative to one another.
It is an object of the invention to provide a deviation device of the initially defined type, which is versatile and flexible in terms of its possible fields of use and thus is not only usable for one certain task, but which may be integrated in the driving roller path or the like, depending on the respective requirements. Also an installation into already existing conveying systems is to be feasible without any problems, as well as its use for deviating conveyed goods of different lengths, or widths, respectively. Moreover, pushing or deviating goods to a transporting means branching off the original conveying path, realization of curves and turns, a turning of the conveyed item about its vertical axis and also a deviation on the original conveying path towards a certain longitudinal side shall be possible.
The deviation module element provided according to the invention comprising a separate module frame and a separate carrier thus may be prepared as an autonomous construction unit and may subsequently be integrated upon requirement in an advantageous manner with great flexibility at any desired site of a conveying or driving roller path, respectively. Moreover, any desired number of such deviation module elements may be provided in succession in a conveying, or driving roller path, respectively. Such an installation at any sites desired is particularly possible if the conveying means is a driving roller path, since a deviation module element then may be installed in each case in the space between two driving rollers; for this purpose it may simply be screwed with its module frame to the basic frame of the driving roller path at pre-determined sites thereof, possibly it may even be fixed by means of suspension or snap connections. Advantageously, the number of the installed deviation module elements may be appropriately adapted to the length, or width, respectively, of the conveyed goods to be deviated. In the case of conveyor belts, an installation at a site between two successive conveyor belts is possible.
To lift the deviation module element in a simple manner temporarily above the conveying plane of the conveyor and to thus allow for certain goods to be deliberately deviated from the conveying paths with the assistance of the deviation module element, it is advantageous if a basic carrier carrying a lifting drive for the roller carriers is fixed between the roller carrier and the driving roller.
Each deviation module element may advantageously be independent of the remaining module elements in the driving roller path, also as regards its control. For lifting, or lowering, respectively, of the carrier with the row of rollers, preferably a lifting cylinder is provided which is fastened to the basic carrier that is fixed to the module frame.
The rollers preferably are rotatably driven via round belts that are driven via driving rollers rotatably mounted in the module frame. The driving roller may be designed as a bead roller so as to guide the respective round belt while the latter is running on the driving roller and so as to enhance its skid safety.
With a view to a simple, low-cost construction of the deviation module element, advantageously a driving belt is provided for the drive of the driving roller which driving belt also drives the driving rollers of the driving roller path. In this case, also tensioning or deflection pulleys may be arranged between the driving rollers so as to attain the required looping angles.
For a simple construction and a reliable drive, it is advantageous if a flat belt is provided as the driving belt.
The rollers advantageously are provided with an O-ring on their peripheries; the O-rings get into contact with the conveyed goods so as to achieve the desired deviating effect, sufficient friction being ensured.
The driving rollers neighbouring the deviation module element preferably are bead rollers driven via round belts. If the driving belt drives the driving rollers of the deviation module elements at those sides of the driving roller path where the deviation module elements are integrated, it is suitable to provide special bead rollers for the carrying rollers of the driving roller path at those sitesxe2x80x94which are not driven via the driving belt itself, because the latter runs over the driving rollers of the deviation module elementxe2x80x94the required torque being transmitted to these bead rollers by those carrying rollers arranged most closely to the deviation module element(s), which are still driven by the flat belt, via the round belts.
The end positions of the carrier of the deviation module element are defined by adjustable stops connected with the module element frame. Thus, it is possible in a simple manner, to preferably adjust the carrier at its final height manually, without actuating the lifting drive, in such a way that the rollers, or the O-rings, respectively, in the lifted state of the carrier will project to the desired extent over the conveying plane defined, e.g., by the carrying rollers.
Due to the advantageous module-type mode of construction of the deviation device it is also possible to provide several deviation module elements with carriers each attached in its separate module frame so as to be independently vertically adjustable; in this manner, the respective size of the conveyed goods to be deviated can be taken into account without any problems, and it is also possible to obtain a suitable control of the entire deviation device. For this purpose, the or each deviation module element can have an associated trigger light barrier for controlling the lifting drive of the carrier; in this manner, e.g., it will be possible to lift all the carriers of the deviation module elements simultaneously and to thus deviate the conveyed goods. Yet to increase the throughput, it is also conceivable to control one deviation module element after the other, in a temporally offset manner. To simplify the control circuit, however, it is also possible to provide merely one common trigger light barrier for an optionally temporally successive control of the lifting drives of the carriers of several deviation module elements. With this design, thus, the deviation module elements will be controlled in groups by the common trigger light barrier which senses the arrival of the conveyed goods to be deviated. It is also conceivable to control several deviation module elements in a pre-selected sequence with one common trigger light barrier, with a temporal delay corresponding to the speed of the conveyed goods.
Furthermore, it is suitable if the rollers are arranged on the carrier so as to be rotatable about axes extending perpendicularly to their axes of rotation, whereby they are (fixedly) adjustable under adjustable angles. Therefore, also several module elements may be successively integrated in the driving roller paths, the module elements each having a different angle of deflection. Thus, in case of great deviations, the angles of deviation can advantageously be successively increased, starting from positions with very slight inclinations, so as to achieve a gentle mode of deviating the conveyed goods.
The angle of the rollers relative to the conveying direction may be approximately 35xc2x0 in a normal operating position. This angle has proven particularly suitable for a shunting function.
The deviation device may be used for shifting, i.e. for introducing or moving out the conveyed goods via a conveying path that extends under an inclination to the driving roller path.
Likewise, in case of different deflection angles, the deviation device may be used for transferring the conveyed goods onto a roller path extending in parallel to the original driving roller path.
Moreover, the deviation device may also be used for moving away the conveyed goods or introducing them in a direction extending substantially at right angles to the conveying direction of the driving roller path.
Often it is also necessary to convey the conveyed goods to a certain longitudinal side of the driving roller path, e.g. so as to read the bar code. The deviation device according to the invention may advantageously be used for shifting the conveyed goods towards a certain longitudinal side of the driving roller path. In this case, advantageously also a stop device may be provided on the longitudinal side towards which the conveyed goods are shifted.
For a simple construction and a safe stop over a certain length it is suitable if a rail is provided as the stop device.
A further advantageous application of the module-type deviation device consists in the formation of a curve region as a transition between two conveying paths arranged under an angle relative to each other. To meet the requirements often occurring in practice, it is also advantageous if the conveying paths are arranged rotated by 90xc2x0, or 180xc2x0, respectively, relative to each other.
It is also suitable to use the module-type deviation device for turning the conveyed goods by 180xc2x0 about their vertical axes, whereby a deviation module element is arranged between two parallel conveying paths with its carrier extending in parallel to the main conveying direction.